


History Lesson

by Serenity59



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Ancient History, Colonialism, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Historical References, Immortal Husbands Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:09:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25844101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenity59/pseuds/Serenity59
Summary: Nile discovers that she's living with 2 real-live history books, and Nicky gives her some advice.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 4
Kudos: 281





	History Lesson

**Author's Note:**

> Drop me prompts at tumblr! --> tenaciouspeacesandwich

Nile huffed in frustration, frowning at her computer screen in dismay. She’d enrolled in a small online college in the past few weeks, after deciding that she ought to at least get a decent education before her mid-twenties were over. After all, it was something she’d been counting on doing after joining the military; she had always considered herself a book worm, and there hadn’t been a year in grade school where she didn’t make the honor roll. However, this class was driving her crazy. She was trying not to beat herself up too much about it- _ maybe it’s because it’s virtual? _ She thought,  _ Or maybe it’s ‘cause I’ve always been terrible at economics. _

“What is bothering you, Nile?” Nicky asked curiously, his gentle voice somehow always able to startle her. He was so quiet and calm, she never registered his presence until he made himself known, seeming to appear out of thin air. He was holding a coffee mug in one hand and a newspaper in the other, setting both down on the kitchen table.

Nile shrugged, shutting her laptop a little harder than she meant to and picking up her textbook. “This stupid course is impossible,” she muttered, “but I have to pass to get my degree. I’ve gotten every credit hour so far, this is the last one- the professor just sucks at explaining, I guess.”

“What subject are you studying?” He questioned, eyes flitting to the door as Joe walked in with a basket of clean laundry. 

“Economics,” Nile answered, leafing through the pages of her book, “but these questions don’t make any sense. Like, how the hell am I supposed to know what the Spanish New World gold trade was equal to in GDP value?”

Joe snorted at that, taking a seat with the basket of clothes as he began to fold them, “More than the richest country in the world today, probably. They ransacked every gem of the west indies and then some.” 

Nile froze, realization dawning on her as she stared at him in disbelief. 

“It’s true,” Nicky interjected casually, taking a sip of his coffee and scrunching his face up like he was remembering something with disdain, “the soldiers were like locusts upon a harvest. Destructive and stupid.”

“You  _ knew  _ the conquistadors?!” Nile exclaimed, actively trying to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. 

Nicky scoffed, obvious bitterness in his tone. “We had the utter misfortune of coming across those hedonistic charlatans.” He sneered, “A pig in slop was less greedy than most of those men.”

Joe must have seen her incredulous expression because he chuckled softly. “You forget, child, that we are very old.” He reminded.

Nicky frowned at him in mock dismay whilst Nile spluttered, trying to find the words. Very old was a grave understatement. “B-but, how did you know them?” She asked in confusion, “I thought you didn’t sail for the Americas until later!” 

Joe looked at Nicky before glancing back at her, tossing a folded towel into the pile before putting his feet up on the ottoman. “We didn’t,” he replied, “but we were there when they sailed back. The port of Seville was where they brought the men and women they’d captured, along with enough gold to make chains for all of them.”

“We hijacked a ship,” Nicky said nonchalantly, as though they were talking about the weather, “we killed many men. They would not free the dozens of innocents they had stolen, so we sailed the people to a friend of ours who would either find a way to take them back or give them good work in his quarry. Pay them fairly, hide them from the king’s men.” 

Nile sat up, her class now completely forgotten as she looked at them intently. “What happened then?” She asked softly, “To the people you saved, I mean. Did they ever make it back to the Americas?”

Joe smiled faintly, a wistful look in his eyes. “We don’t know,” he murmured, “We could only pray that some did. Many died of diseases; after living in a paradise such as theirs, their bodies could not handle the harshness of our world. But the man we sent them to was a good man, he would not have given them over to death so easily.”

Nicky sighed deeply, sea-green eyes finding Joe’s. “Ahh, Anton. He was one of few mortals back then that we could trust.” He said fondly, obviously having nothing but good memories of whoever Anton was. 

“Mmh.” Joe nodded solemnly, before breaking out into a soft laugh. “Wherever he is now, I’m sure he is mocking us for still going on missions.”

Nicolo barked out a laugh at that, looking to explain to Nile. “Anton was a wise old bastard, but he would scold us for our journeys. He used to say, ‘trying to save the world is like trying to behead a hydra; for every good deed you do, five more evils will follow.’ He told us we were like children running tirelessly, trying to catch the wind.”

Nile beamed slightly at that, raising an eyebrow. “He’s got a point.” She muttered, smile dampening slightly when she thought of everything. Everything she’d seen, everything she’d witnessed. It was nothing compared to all the horrors Nicky and the rest of them must have endured after living so long. The number of happy endings must start to dwindle when you live through as many centuries as them.

Nicky’s eyes grew soft and he looked at her intently, absentmindedly leaning into the embrace Joe had subconsciously enveloped him in. The two are like magnets, or planets orbiting each other in space- never out of the other’s gravity. 

“Do not become cynical, child. Especially since you are still just that.” He murmured gently, patting the hand she had resting on her textbook.

Nile sighed softly, the corner of her lips quirking upwards at the man’s kindness. She wondered how Nicky could sustain his sweet nature over decades, how he could go through what he’d gone through, and still give so much of himself to others. “I’ll try.” She murmured, and they all sat in a silence that Nile could only describe as comfort and safety.


End file.
